Bearing mounting for crank shafts and the like



Aug. 29, -l933. N M. LOWER ET AL' 1,924,562

BEARING MOUNTING FOR CRANK SHAFTS AND THE LIKE Original Filed l llay 14,1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug.29,1933; N. M. LOWER mm 1,924,562

BEARING MOUNTING FOR CRANK'SHAFTS; AND THE LIKE Original Filed May 14.1927 z sheets-sheet 2 1-1272 /Y KAW Patented Aug. 29,1933

UNITED STATES 1,924.50 "mama momma son. cam sun-rs Nathan 1!. Lower,Crestwood, near Yonkers, Chalker .N.Y-., and-Albertlt.

William Bellevue,

G. Bailey, Mount Lebanon, Pa.

Application May 14, 1921, 801181 No. 191,02 Renewed mm 18, 1932 8Claims. (Cl. 308-479) This invention relates to bearings for crank, camor eccentric shafts and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a new andimproved mounting for intermediate or center anti-friction bearings forone piece crank and like shafts.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a one piece crankshaft adapted to have an annular non-split radial or thrust bearingmounted thereon between the crank arms.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a crank or likeshaft with non-split anti-friction bearings between the crank arms,thereby permitting the use of much smaller, more durable bearingsurfaces in place of the long heat-generating, short-lived surfaces ofplain sleeve bearings, and to consequently provide a more compactmachine design'carrying a safer and higher bearing load per linear inchof bearin 8. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through amulti-cylinder engine showing the application of a non-splitantifriction radial and thrust bearing on a crank shaft;

Flg. 2 is a perspective view of a crank shaft 80 with an anti-frictionbearing mounted thereon as a center bearing;

Fig.3isasectiononthellne2-3ofFig. 1, showing the split bearing cap;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the split spacer bushin 1 I Fig. 5 is adetail assembly of the bearing mounting on the shaft with the bearingand bushing shown in section, with parts broken away;

Fig.6isatopplanviewof1 'ig.5; and

Fig. I is a longitudinal sectional view illustra ing a modified-form ofbearing mounting.

It has been the common practice heretofore in the mounting of crank andlike shafts of multicylinder engines to provide antifriction bearingsonly at-the ends of the shaft and to arrange them in the formof thrustbearings. The center or' intermediatebearingsareusuallyofbrassorBabbitt-metal in the form of what is known as sleeve bearings. Since theshaft operates at high speeds these sleeve bearings must necessarily bevery long in order to provide sufllcient bearing for carrying the loadwithout undue heating'of thebearing surfaces. I

It is desirable to employanti-frlction center or intermediate bearingsfor the crank shafts. of internal combustion engines, hut-the balls androllers for constituting anti-friction bearings are usually mounted inannular cages, and to assemble them in position as intermediate bearingsfor crank shafts is a difficult problem. Ithas heretofore beenconsidered necessary to employ a sectional shaft in order to be able toassemble the intermediate antifriction bearings thereon. This isobjectionable because it not only weakens the shaft but the journals aremore likely to get out of alipement than where the shaft is an integralstructure.

The present invention seeks to avoid these difficulties by providing aconstruction in which a rigid one piece shaft is employed having inter-7. mediate anti-friction bearings.

Referring now to the drawings in which similar reference characters. areemployed to designate the same parts throughout the description, thereference character; 10 designates generally an internal combustionengine which is employed by way of example to illustrate one embodimentof the invention. The engine comprises the cylinder block 11 having'aplurality of cylinders 12, 13, 14 and 15 therein, and the crank case 2'00 having the openings 16 and 1'1 through the ends thereof, through whichthe crank shaft 18 is adapted to extend.

Suitable means are provided for iournaling the crank shaft in the endsof the crank case. As shown, bearing members 19 and 21 are employed forthis purpose. These members constitute closures for the openings 16 and17 respectively and are provided with annular ribs 22 and 23 which areadapted to engage in the openings 16 and 17 respectively for positioningsaid members, for

assuring an alinement of the bearings for the crank shaft, as willpresently appear. They are secured in position by any appropriatefastening means as the screws or bolts 24 tapped into the walls of thecrank case. The bearing members 19 and 21 are provided with hubs havingaxial openings in which the sleeve bearings 25 and 26 are secured.

' The crank shaft 18 is provided with the 'integral crank arms 270, 271,2'12, 273, 274 and 2'75 and connecting members or journals 28. The shaftis journaled at the ends of the crank case in the sleeve bearings 25 and26 and has the usual fly wheel 29 attached to its front end. A gear 31is secured on said shaft adjacent to the front crank arm 270 foroperating the cam shaft 32, as is usual-in such constructions.

Suitable connecting rods'33 connect the pisportion 3'7 of the housing isrigidly connected to the crank case as by being cast integral there--with, and is provided with inwardly extending retaining flanges 38 and39 spaced apart for receiving the outer races of the antifriction bear-'-ing 36 between them as will presently appear.

.screws 30, see Fig. 3.

The lower section 41 of the bearing support or housing having theretaining flanges 42 and 43, is detachably connected to the upper orflxed portion by any suitable means as the bolts or Theantifrictionbearing member 36 is held by thehousing or supports between theflangeson the sections 37 and 41, as clearly shown in Fig. 1'.

' Any suitable antifriction bearings may be employed. In the form of thedevice shown in Fig. 1, two bearing members having tapered rollerbearings are mounted bn the crank shaft and .held in the housing orsupport 37 with the outer races 44 and 45. between the retainingflanges.

The bearing members are preferably though not necessarily arranged withthe tapered ends of the rollers opposed for receiving the thrust on theshaft in either direction. v

The antifrictiombearing 36 is assembled on the crank shaft before theshaft is placed in position in the crank case in a manner that will nowbe described.

The intermediate journal portion 46 of the 1 shaft, see Fig. 1, on whichthe .antifriction bearings are mounted is of-such' diameter that theantifri'ction bearing may be threaded onto the' shaft from one endthereof. The internal diameter ofithe bearing races is greater than thewidth 4 of the crank arms, and also greater than the diameter of theshaft. By removing the corners of the crank arms as at 47 the bearings36 may be moved along the shaftby tilting the same first one way andthen another to pass them over the ends of the crank arms. 7 The bearingmembers may be'slid into position from the front end of:

the shaft before the fly wheel is attached. They are held in positionmany suitable manner.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4. a split cylindrical retaining or spacersleeve 48 comprising what for convenience will be termed the uppersection 49 andv the lower section 51,;is employed for this purpose. Thelower section is placed in position first. Itis'slid onto the ioumalportion 46 of the shaft over the inner end or curved portion of the arm2'12 beneath the inner races of the antifriction bearing 36 on top ofthe ,ioumal. The inner end of the arm 2'72 being concentric withthecrankshaftasshownatminFig-L and being flush with the cylindrical surface oftheshaft at this point, permits this to be done. The sleeve section 51is then turned to the lower side of the shaft. The other adjacent arm273 which extends beyond the shaft in all directions is provided with aboss or shoulder for limitin: the rearward movement of thesleeve-section.

when the section is turned ,to the position shown in l'ig. 1 the arm 272will prevent the section Qintermediate hearing or bearings roller orball bearings '74. The antifriction bearing" '74 is assembled on thecrank shaft in the same from moving forwardly. The section is preferablyprovided with a flange 52 which is adapted to engage the front end oithe inner race of the forward anti-friction [bearing for holding it inposition. The upper section 49 of the sleeve 48 is next pressed or1ightly,.tapped in position over the curvedsurface 40 between the innerbearing races and the journal member 46 of the shaft. The section 49 isprovided with a flange 53 for engaging the inner races of theanti-friction bearings for preventing the forward movement thereof,alongv the crank shaft. The sleeve section 49 is held in position by aset screw or'bolt 54 threaded into the crank shaft and engaging a notch55in the forward edge of the flange 53.

- The sleeve sections 49 and 51 frictionally hold the inner bearingraces from turning on the shaft and theouter races are held fromrotating by being clamped between the sections of the bearing support 35when the shaft i'smounted in the crank case.

The bores 16, 1 7 and the semicircular bore in the intermediate'bearingscan all be made at a single operation, thus insuring perfect alinementof .the bearings when the parts are assembled.

i In assemblingthe shaft in the engine, the shaft member 21 from thefront, after the bearing member -19 has been removed. Thedaearing 19 isnow passed over the frontend of the shaft and secured in position. Thefly wheel 29 it attached and after removing the closure of the crankcase the lower section 41 is secured in position for holding the outerraces 44 and 45 of the bearings 36 in position. The connecting links andpistons may now be attached to the crankshaft and the closure 60returned toclosed position.

In Fig. 7 is shown a modified form'ofthe device in which antifrictionbearings are employed at the ends as well as at the intermediate isinserted into the case and through the bearing portions of the shaft. Inthis form of the device the crank case.,61 is. provided with the alinedopenings 62 and 63 in which are mounted the bearing members 64 and 65.These members are provided with recesses 66 and 67 for receiving radialand thrust antifriction bearings 68 and 69 the outer races of which areadapted .to frictionally and non-rotatably engage the walls of saidrecess and the inner, races of which are flxed to the crank shaft in theusual manner.

The bearing member 65 is provided on its inner,

end-with a flange 71 which will ,limit its axial movement outwardly. Thebearing member 64 is likewise provided with a flange 72 which is adaptedto be secured to the crank case by suitable fastening means as the boltsor screws 73.

Since each end bearing is a thrust bearing the may be plain manner asdescribed above. The bearing is also secured in position in the crankcase in the same manner as the corresponding bearings 36 in Fig. 1, andfor that reason-'itis not thought necessary to repeat that;,description.

While, as disclosed, the crank shaft is provided with a singleintermediate Journal, it is understood that a multiplicity of suchjournals may be employed with antifriction bearings vfor said JournalsIt will be apparent that the intemaldiameter of the intermediatebearings may be lessjthan the diameter or radial dimension of the crankarms. the bearings being assembled by .thread 9 parting from the spiritand scope of the ap-'- pended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In combination with a crankshaft having a journal and a crank arm ateach side of the journal, an antifriction bearing mounted on saidjournal and comprising nonsplit outer and inner races, the internaldiameter of the inner race 1 being greater than the diameter of thejournal,

a spacer bushing mounted between the journal and said inner race, saidbushing being split lengthwise into two parts, said crank arms at oneside of the axis of the joural extending beyond the journal and one partof the spacer bushing being disposed and closely fitting between saidcrank arms, said crank' arms on the opposite side of the axis of thejournal arranged with one arm extending beyond the journal and with theother being within the confines of the radius of the journal, the otherpart of the spacer bushing being disposed on the lastnamed side of theaxis of the journal with one end thereof contacting the extending armand means at the other end engaging the other arm to preventlongitudinal movement in one direction of the last named part of thespacer bushing.

2. In combination with a crankshaft having a journal and a crank arm ateach side of the journal, an antiiriction bearing mounted on saidjournal and comprising nonsplit outer and inner races, the internaldiameter of the inner race being greater than the diameter of thejournal,

I a spacer bushing mounted between the journal and said inner race,saidbushing being split lengthwise into two parts of unequal length,said crank at one side of the axis of the journal I extending beyond thejournal and the short part of the spacer bushing being disposed andclosely fitting between said crank arms, said crank arms on the oppositeside of the axis of the journal arranged with one arm extending beyondthe journal and with the other being within the confines oi the radiusor the journal, the longer part of the spacer bushing being disposed onthe last named side of the axis of thejournal with one end thereofcontacting the extending arm and the other end overlapping the otherarm, and a pin extending into the last named arm to prevent longitudinalmovement in one direction of the longer part of the spacer bushing.

3-. In combination with a crankshaft having a journal and a crank arm ateach side of the journal, an antifriction bearing mounted on saidjournal and comprising nonsplit outer and inner races, the internaldiameter of the inner race being greater than the diameter of thejournal, a spacer bushing mounted between the journal and said innerrace, said bushing being split lengthwise into two parts, said crankarms at one side of the axis of the journal extending beyond the journaland one part of the spacer bushing being disposed between said crankarms, said crank arms on the opposite side of the axis of the journalarranged with one arm extending beyond the journal and with the otherbeing within the'conflnes of the radius of the journal, and the otherpart of the spacer bushing being disposed on the last named side of theaxis of the journal with one end thereof positioned adjacent theextending arm and with the other end overlapping that crankarm which iswithin the confines of the radius of the journal to prevent rotarymovement of the spacer, bushing about said journal.

I NATHAN M. LOWER.

ALBERT 'R. CHALKER. WILLIAM G. BAILEY.'

